Fire extinguisher construction for exteriorly mounted cartridges



Mam}! 1966 c. K. HUTHSING, JR 3,239,010

FIRE EXTINGUISHER CONSTRUCTION FOR EXTERIORLY MOUNTED CARTRIDGES Filed July 15, 1964 INVENTOR. CHARLES K-HUTHS|NG JR BYWM'XW ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,239,910 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 3,239,010 FIRE EXTINGUISHER CONSTRUCTION FOR EXTERIORLY MOUNTED CARTRIDGES Charles K. Huthsing, In, 1685 Shermer Road, Northbrook, Ill. Filed July 15, 1964, Ser. No. 382,734 5 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) This invention generally relates to fire extinguishers, and more particularly concerns an improved construction for a dry chemical, portable fire extinguisher in which the cartridge is mounted exteriorly of the fire extinguisher 'tank. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved combination of apparatus for attaching the cartridge guard in a position to enclose the cartridge and prevent inadvertent damage thereto.

Fire extinguishers of this general construction, that is, with exteriorly mounted cartridges, are known in the art, although the more conventional fire extinguishers usually have the cartridge mounted from the neck of the extinguisher tank and extending axially downwardly therein. One of the problems associated with the exterior mounted cartridge type fire extinguisher is to provide a means of protecting the cartridge from damage. Towards this end, various guard constructions have been suggested, but to applicants knowledge, no construction has ever been employed or suggested which does not in some manner provide for direct coupling to the cartridge unit as much. The problem associated with the latter type of means of attachment is that the cartridge will at least partially be susceptible of receiving shock -or other force loads as a consequence of such forces being transmitted through the guard enclosing the cartridge.

Another problem 'has been the means of coupling a guard to the extinguisher in a manner such that it will not accidentally be sprung off and yet at the same time assuring a construction such that the guard may be readily removed, if necessary, for replacement of the cartridge once the extinguisher has been operated.

With the foregoing problems in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved fire extinguisher unit of the exterior cartridge type, in which an improved means is provided for retaining the cartridge guard in a manner such that substantially no forces are transmitted to the cartridge regardless of loads that may be imposed on the enclosing cartridge guard.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fire extinguisher of the exterior mounted cartridge type in which a positive means is provided for securing the guard to the extinguisher in a manner so that it may not inadvertently be sprung loose therefrom, and yet in a construction such that the guard may be readily removed, if necessary, for replacement of the cartridge or portions of the valve unit to which it is coupled.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are generally achieved by providing an improved dry chemical fire extinguisher construction of the exterior mounted cartridge type wherein means are provided for directly coupling the guard to the extinguisher tank as such without supporting the guard in any way from the cartridge unit which it is designed to protect.

More particularly, the present invention embodies a coupling means partially retained by the guard and partially retained by the extinguisher tank which serves to lock the guard into position against the extinguisher tank in a manner so as to enclose and protect the cartridge without contacting the same. Preferably, a conventional form of overcenter type coupling member is used for this purpose and is positioned in a manner as dicating the means of attachment thereof; and,

FIGURE 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIGURE 1 of the part of the coupling construction attached to the extinguisher tank designed to 'co-function with the catch member secured to the cartridge guard as such.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URE l a portion of an extinguisher tank 10 of the usual cylindrical form designed to contain dry chemical fire extinguishing agents. In the more usual construction, a car-tridge is supported within the tank 10 at the neck opening thereof, and the same opening also carries the valve body housing a plunger and puncturing pin, the latter "being designed .to puncture a frangible seal in the upper part of the cartridge. However, in the present invention, the cartridge unit is mounted exteriorly of 'the tank, although substantially the same components are employed, for example, as-shown in assignees co-pending application entitled Fire Extinguisher with Side Mounted Cartridge, the invention of Arthur Rodgers, filed December 11, 1963, under Serial No. 329,735.

Thus, continuing with the description, the tank 10 has coupled thereto a 'valve body 11 provided with a threaded connecting portion 12 and a'plunger-puncturing pin member 13, "which is designed to be operated by an actuating lever (not shown), for example, of the type shown in the above-referred-to co-pending application.

For purposes of conveniently retaining a cartridge guard, the valve body '11 is provided with a grooved portion '14 designed to receive a U-shaped end portion 15 of the-cartridge guard'unit 16.

A cartridge 17 :may threadedly be supported from the valve body in a position as indicated by the dotted line showing thereof. The purpose of the guard 16, of course, is to protect the cartridge 17 which usually contains a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide, or the like.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the guard 16 is provided with coupling means in the form of a catch 18 of conventional construction including a finger lever 19 and a catch ring 20. The coupling means 18 on the guard 16 may rigidly be attached thereto in any manner, for example by screws, or the like (not shown).

The coupling means 18 is designed to co-function with a bracket member 21 rigidly mounted on the exterior sidewalls of the extinguisher tank 10. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, the bracket 21 may include finger portions 22 (designed to co-function with the catch ring 20) and fiat portions 23 which may be brazed or otherwise secured to the sidewalls of the tank.

Thus, in assembling the guard 16 to the extinguisher tank 10, the end portion 15 of the guard 16 is first positioned over the grooved section 14 of the valve body 11. The lever 19 of the catch member 18 is then raised to allow the catch ring 20 to be positioned over the protruding finger 22 of the bracket 21. Thereafter, the finger lever 19 is forced back into its overcenter position to firmly lock the ring 20 about the finger 22. Of course, a similar coupling member 18 is provided on the other side of the guard (not shown) for cooperating with the other finger 22 of the bracket 21 in exactly the same manner.

In order that the guard 16 fit snugly against the tank 10 sidewalls, the guard 16 may be provided with cutouts 21' adjacent the coupling means 18 to allow the guard 3 16 to straddle the bracket fiat portion 23. The cutouts 21' also serve to index and secure the guard 16 in a vertical direction with respect to the tank. The finger 22 will thus extend on the side of guard 16 to cooperate with ring 20.

Once the guard 16 is coupled onto the extinguisher sidewalls, no force imparted to the guard 16 will be transferred to the cartridge 17 except possibly indirectly through the tank sidewalls and the valve body 11. Thus, no part of the guard 16 or any member coupled thereto is in contact with the cartridge 17. Towards this end, of course, the guard 16 is dimensioned such that an annular space exists between it and the cartridge 17; furthermore, the cartridge 17 is itself spaced from the tank 10.

With the foregoing type of construction, it will also be appreciated that a positive means is provided of securing or coupling the cartridge cover in position against the extinguisher tank, and yet a means is provided of quickly uncoupling same so that the cartridge 17 may be replaced once the contents therein have been used for fire extinguishing purposes.

Although a preferred form of the invention has been illustratively shown and described, it will be appreciated that certain modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in accordance with the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising: a fire extinguisher tank for storing dry chemical extinguishing agents; an exteriorly disposed valve body connected to said tank and extending from the sidewalls thereof; a cartridge retained by said valve body; a generally U-shaped guard for said cartridge designed to enclose said cartridge in spaced relationship thereto, said guard defining cut-outs on the side edges thereof; catch means on said guard and a bracket on said tank for securing said guard to said tank, said bracket fitting within said cut-outs to index and secure said guard in a vertical direction relative to said tank.

2. The combination comprising: a fire extinguisher tank for storing dry chemical fire extinguishing agents; a valve body connected to said tank exteriorly thereof and extending from the sidewalls thereof; a cartridge retained by said valve body in substantially parallel relationship to said tank; a generally U-shaped guard for said cartridge designed to enclose said cartridge in spaced relationship thereto; cooperative catch means on said guard and said tank for securing said guard to said tank and urging the side edges thereof against said tank, said cooperative catch means embodying an overcenter catching member on said guard designed to engage a catch member rigidly secured to said tank.

3. The combination according to claim 2, in which a pair of said catch members are embodied in an integral bracket member rigidly secured to said tank, and in which said cooperative catch means includes a pair of spaced overcenter catch members secured to said guard designed to co-function with catch members embodied in said bracket.

4. The combination comprising: a fire extinguisher tank for storing dry chemical fire extinguishing agents; a valve body connected to said tank exteriorly thereof and extending from the sidewalls thereof; a cartridge retained by said valve body in substantially parallel relationship to said tank; a generally U-shaped guard for said cartridge designed to enclose said cartridge in spaced relationship thereto; a bracket on said tank and catch means on said guard cooperating therewith for securing said guard to said tank and urging the side edges thereof against said tank; and cut-out means on said guard co-functioning with said bracket to vertically index and secure said guard relative to said tank.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in which said catch means on said guard embodies an overcenter catching member designed to engage said bracket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,338,313 1/1944 Bishop 16931 2,531,123 11/1950 Guise et al 169-31 3,002,698 10/1961 Gallo 239-308 3,149,677 9/ 1964 Blair 169-31 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

4. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TANK FOR STORING DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING AGENTS; A VALVE BODY CONNECTED TO SAID TANK EXTERIORLY THEREOF AND EXTENDING FROM THE SIDEWALLS THEREOF; A CARTRIDGE RETAINED BY SAID VALVE BODY IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID TANK; A GENERALLY U-SHAPED GUARD FOR SAID CARTRIDGE DESIGNED TO ENCLOSE SAID CARTRIDGE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THERETO; A BRACKET ON SAID TANK AND CATCH MEANS ON SAID GUARD COOPERATING THEREWITH FOR SECURING SAID GUARD TO SAID TANK AND URGING THE SIDE EDGES THEREOF AGAINST SAID TANK; AND CUT-OUT MEANS ON SAID GUARD CO-FUNCTIONING WITH SAID BRACKET TO VERTICALLY INDEX AND SECURE SAID GUARD RELATIVE TO SAID TANK. 